Yieldable barrier



Oct. 5, 1937. E. D. sAwYER YIELDABLE BARRIER Filed Dec. 2l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct.'5, 1937. E. D. sAwYER v YIELDABLE BARRIER Filed Deo. 2l, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet? L'CI'Y@ fag/987? m4, l

f/wrmed.

Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in yielding barriers adapted and arranged to be extended across roadways, or the like, to prevent accidents at points of danger, the primary object of the present invention being to provide a barrier ofY maintaining the operating parts or .connection above the normal sidewalk level. Y ,l

Other objects will appear hereinafter.V The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and` claimed.

. The invention will be best understood by'reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of 4this specification, and in which j Fig. l is a partial section ytaken throughth lower port-ion of one of the columns of vthe-barrier in a plane substantially parallel Wit-h the directionof the roadway; Fig. A2 a section of theV same taken at yright angles thereto; Fig..3 an enlarged detailed section taken adjacent a supporting bracket secured to the under side o-f the carriage of the barrier;4 t

Fig. V4 a section taken substantiallycon line '4,-4 of Figq3; 1 Y 'n Fig. 5 a section taken substantially Von Aline V5.-5

of "Fig. 3,'

'Fig. 6 aface view of said supporting bracket with portions broken away orV removed; andV '7 a view corresponding with the lower -por-' tion of Fig. 2 but showing a .slightly -modiedf form vof construction. Y

` The -embodiment of the invention illustrated in lthe drawings comprises the usual carriage 5II) mounte'd'and arranged to reciprocate vertically in the usuai column lH 'and equipped with the usual guide rollers I2 running upon guide bars I3 on the side walls of said column. jThe car riage is provided with a tubular Iguide member or fair leader I 4 cooperating with'a grooved guide pulley or sheave I5 in said carriage' and adapted and arranged to serve as guidesor directing mem,-`

bers for the lowermost payout lcable I6 of thev4 barrier construction. These parts are identical with the'corresponding parts illustrated and d escribed in my said priorY Patent No. 1,828,296 and require no further description here.V e

A supporting bracket I'I is secured, as shown, to the bottom of the carriage I0 to protrude through the usual slot in the column II, said bracket being provided in its outer wall with slotY I9 open at itsbottom and with cooperating sides vI8 forming a passageway therethrough in registration with said slot. The bracket Il is also provided at opposite sides with abutments 10- I'I and I8' adapted and arranged to engage theA inner sides of the outer wall of the column so asl to"l transfer the outward horizontal resultant of' an'Y irnpact against the barrier to the outer wall of the column and thereby relieve the bracket 15; and carriage from such strain .or shock. Y

Atubular guide member or fair leaderZIJ is arranged t9 be inserted Vin said passageway and slot. For this purpose the guide member is .provided at 4its lower outer end with; an enlarged head 2| projecting substantially horizontally and* providedA with notches 22 behind it to receive the sides o f the bracket Il tovpermitof the insertion of the lower end of said guide member in said slot I9, jas shown. 'I he lower outer corners 23 25. and the upper inner corners 24 of the notches, 22 are rounded, Vas best shown in Fig. 3, so as toi facilitate this insertion.

A suitable opening is provided in `the bottom of ,the carriage l0 to permit the insertion of thev 30 upper'end of the tubular guide 20 therethrough, and the upper end of said lguide is provided with a vguidetongue 25 adapted and arranged to project intothegroove of the guide pulley or sheave l I5 ,when said guide member is arrangedin sub- 35V stantially tangential relation, so as to insure the proper passage of the payout kcable I6 there-l through; Theguide member 20 is provided with abutment shoulders v2li iittingsnugly against Athe bottom of the carriage I0, and a locking b ar '2l 40 is secured by bolts 28 across the lower end of the slot..I9to lock the head ,2 I of lthe guide member 26 ein' position in sad'slot. vA supporting abut'- rnent block 29 is Ysecured inthe bracket Il by meansfof across pin 3|),` `in position to abut 45 against fthe `lower side of the'guide member 2D, and thereby further secure the same place. 1 The Vabutment member 29 isV provided V.with Yper-V forated'ears `3,.IV between which the *upperV end of anoperating chain `32 is vsecured by'meansof a 50 pin 33. Theoperating Ychain A32 lconnects with a sprocket V34 ona Vshaft 35 ,leading intol a .gear reducing .mechanism 36 operable .through the usual electric motor 31 to facilitate movements of the carriage I0 inthe usual way.. v .l

` level being indicated at 39.

' carriage andemerge from the column at a point below the guide rollers I2so that the barriernet will be positioned at alcomparatively'low elevation'over the roadway level 39 and at the same` time all of Vtheroperating mechanism for the carv riage I0 located aboverthe sidewalk level so as e not to be interferedwith by ice, snow, or debris entering the lower portion of the column. In this way a barrier may be so mounted or Vpositioned relatively to the roadway as to be low enough to ycontact withl the lowermost substantial portions of an automobile or vehicle and at the same time Y the operating parts and connections located high l enough in the column so as'to be free of danger of stoppage through ice, snow or accumulated debris. Y Y 1 v The specic formv and arrangement of parts 'disclosed is a simple andreffective'one Yfor the In thjemodication illustrated inlFig 7, a

chain clip :31' -is` formed integral with one of thev sides I8 of the bracket l1 Vat a point to the rear and at a higher elevation than the Vabutment' block 29'so that the operating chain 32 may beY secured thereto, asshown'.` By this arrangement,

the sprocket 34 may be moved back on the shaft understood. K y Y. i

While I have illustrated and'described the pre- 35 into registration with -the'clip 3l,`as shown,

ftherebypermitting the lowering of the guide 20,

and consequently the lowermost Vpayout Ycable,` to a much '.lower level, and-.thereby causing" the lowermost payut'cableto emerge at a point be'- low the level `of the top of-lthe motivating sprocket -134 and bringing the .barrier net correspondingly closer to the topof .the roadway,as will be readily ferredrforms of constructionfor carrying my in'- ventioninto eie'ct, these are capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore Vdo not Wish to be limited to the precise details` disclosed, but

' desire to availy myself Aof such variations and modications as fall within the scope of the, appended'claims. Y Y u Y I claim:

1.7A, yieldable barrier operating mechanism` comprising a vertically movable carriage; a 4flexiblepayout and 'supporting element forthe'lower Y portion. of the'Y barriernet mounted in and ar- VYranged topay out from saidV carriageyand guid.`

ing means for said element causing it to emerge fromsaidmechanism at apoint below the bottom i oi?Y the carriage. v j j Y 2. A yieldable barrier operating mechanismV Ycomprising a" vertically movable carriage; a f1ex' ible payout and supporting element for the lower portion of the vbarrier net mounted in Vand arranged topay out from said carriage; and guiding means iorsaid element arranged to guide it downwardly and'outwardly fromY said carriage.

3.-/AY yieldable? barrier operating' `mechanismV fcomprislin'ga verticallymoyable,carriage; a flexY ible payout and supporting element forV the lower portion of 'thebarrier net: mounted in" and` ar-V ranged 4to payout from said'fcarriagejV and guiding'rmeans for said" element arranged to guide it; f rstdownwardly through thebottom of "andf then outwardly from 'said-carriage.'Y Y

4. A yieldable barrier operating mechanism. comprising a vertically movable carriage; a lex' ible payout and supporting element for the lower portion of the barrier net mounted in and arranged to pay out from said carriage; and an inclined tubular guide for saidelement mounted through the bottom of said carriage. 1

5. A yieldable barrier operating mechanism comprising a vertically movable carriage; a exible payoutV and supporting element for the lower portion of the barrier net mounted in andarranged to pay out from said carriage; a grooved guide sheave for said element mounted in the lower portion of saidvcarriage; and an inclined tubular guide forsaid element mounted on said carriage substantially tangential to said'sheave and extending thence downwardly and outwardly through the bottom oi' said carriage.

6. A yieldable *barriery operating mechanism comprising a vertically movable carriage; a flexible payout and'supporting element for the lower portion of` thelbarrier'rjnet mounted in and ar'- ranged to pay out from said carriage; a grooved guide sheave for said element mounted in thek lower portion of said carriage;A and vaninclined tubular guide for said element mounted on said carriage substantially tangentialto--said sheave4 and extending thence downwardly and outwardly through the bottom of said `carriagethe outer Y on and extending downwardly and outwardly end of said tubular guide being turned substan-Y tallyY horizontally. a Y a n '7.4 A yieldable 4barrier 'operating' mechanism vcomprising a vertically movable carriagejaexible payoutand supporting element for the lower' portion of the barrier net mounted inV and ar ranged tofpay out from'said carriage; a grooved guide sheave for said element `mounted in the lower portion of'said carriage; an inclinedtubularV- guide forA said element mounted on said carriage substantially tangential'vto said sheave and' eX- tending thence downwardly and outwardly through the bottom of said carriage; and a guide Y causingit. to emerge' from said mechanism at a point below the level of the lowermost point of' normalcontact between the carriage -andcolumnl 9. A yieldable barrier operating mechanismcomprising a vertically movable carriage; Aa Vflexible payout and supporting element for the lower.V

.portionvof the'barrier vnet arrangedggto pay out fromsaid carriage; Vmotivating means for said i carriage connected with the bottoniY thereof; and

guiding `means for said lelement causing it toY emerge from said Ymechanism at a point below the Vlevel of, the A lowermost Ypoint :of contact 'be-vV tween the carriage and column. i Y

10. A yieldable Vbarrier,V operating mechanism/ comprising avertically :movable carriage; a flex-fV ible payout and supporting element forY the lowerY portion of thebar'rier netarranged' to pay outV -Vfrom said carriage; motivating means Ifor said carriage connected with the bottom thereof; and

`guiding means for said 'element causing itY to Y emerge from said mechanismv ata point below the level of theftop of the motivatin'g'means,

74A'11. A yieldable barrier operatingf-mechanism comprising a vertically movable carriage; a flexible payout and supporting element for the lower portion of the barrier net mounted in and arranged to pay out from said carriage; a grooved guide sheave for said element mounted in the lower portion of said carriage; a supporting bracket mounted on the outer portion of the bottom of said carriage, said bracket being provided with a slot in its outer face and a passageway therethrough in registration with said slot; an inclined tubular guide for said element notched at its sides to fit into said slot, shaped and arranged to extend upwardly and inwardly through said passageway, there being an opening in the bottom of the carriage to permit the passage of the upper end of said tubular guide into substantially tangential arrangement with said sheave; a guide tongue on the upper end of said tubular guide projecting into the groove in said sheave; shoulders on the sides of said tubular guide abutting against the bottom of said carriage; and means for securing said guide in said bracket.

12. A yieldable barrier operating mechanism comprising a vertical movable carriage; a flexible payout and supporting element for the lower portion of the barrier net mounted in and arranged to pay out from said carriage; a grooved guide sheave for said element mounted in the lower portion of said carriage; a supporting bracket mounted on the outer portion of the bottom of said carriage, said bracket being provided With a slot in its outer face and a passageway therethrough in registration with said slot; an inclined tubular guide for said element notched at its sides to fit into said slot, shaped and arranged to extend upwardly and inwardly through said passageway, there being an opening in the bottom of the carriage to permit the passage of the upper end of said tubular guide into substantially tangential arrangement with said sheave; a guide tongue on the upper end of said tubular guide projecting into the groove in said sheave; shoulders on the sides of said tubular guide abutting against the bottom of said carriage; a cross bar closing the lower end of the slot in said bracket to support said tubular guide therein; an abutment member secured in s aid bracket below said tubular guide and supporting the same in said passageway; and an operating chain connection with said abutment member. EMERSON D. SAWYER. 

